When I received my sample set of the new Jo Malone English Fields Collection a couple months ago I was instantly enthralled by Oat & Cornflower. It is still my favorite of the five releases in the collection. I also think the other four are quite good and thought I’d do a quick take on each of them. Creative Director Celine Roux collaborated with perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui on the entire collection which lends to a cohesion throughout this exploration of a different kind of gourmand fragrance type.
Green Wheat & Meadowsweet is a nicely realized version of those moments in the spring as the green shoots of new growth appear. Mme Bijaoui uses one of the grassy aromachemicals along with a healthy dose of grapefruit. That concentration of that citrus allows for its slightly sulfurous facets to blend with the fresh grassy part to form an accord which captures that early spring moment of the return of the green. Over time this warms, as if the sun is rising, making it slightly sweeter sort of hay-like by the time it reaches the base accord. It is an alternative to all the florals as a perfume to celebrate spring.
Celine Roux
In Crocus & Honey it starts off with a hay-like quality as Mme Bijaoui uses broom flower and coumarin in the top accord. Lavender matched with sage provides an herbal floral heart which fits in with the top accord pleasantly. The honey is then drizzled in at the same time almond and vanilla are also used to form a kind of honey butter accord. It is this final accord which I found the best part of Honey & Crocus.
Poppy & Barley is my second favorite mainly because of the floral not listed, violet. Mme Bijaoui uses a blend of violet and fig in the early going. That is a combo which appeals to me quite a bit. Blackcurrant bud turns it greener before the floral interlude of poppy accord carries you through to what really stands out here. The base accord is a texturally grainy affair made up of bran and barley. It is like running your hands through a filed of grains and bringing them to your face. A set of white musks leave you under the clothesline with linens drying in the sun.
Mathilde Bijaoui
Primrose & Rye seems like it comes from an English Field on one of the Caribbean Islands. The reason it seems like it comes from that part of the world is the use of coconut in the top accord along with sweet corn. It is a unique combination closer to sunscreen than gourmand. As it gives way to the florals in the heart the primrose is equally matched by an effervescent mimosa. The grain comes forward as the rye is leavened with a bit of vanilla. It reminds me of the smell of freshly baking rye bread. There is a slight sweetness paired with the graininess.
I found all five of the English Fields perfumes to have 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
I think what Mme Roux has been bringing to Jo Malone has been a sense of adventurousness. She has overseen several perfumes for the brand over the last couple of years which really stand out. English Fields is part of that trend.
Disclosure: this review is based on samples provided by Nordstrom.
–Mark Behnke
